What type of companies & organisations use 0808 numbers?

The ‘0808’ number is a freephone number that was introduced in 1997 to add to the amount of freephone numbers in the UK. Freephone numbers are free of charge in the UK on mobile and landline telephones. They are similar to 0800 numbers as they are national non-geographic numbers. Non-geographic numbers are not registered to a specific place in the UK like the majority phone numbers but they are still national, unlike some other numbers.

What type of Companies & Organisations use 0808 Numbers?

A variety of companies and organisations use 0808 numbers. The most common companies that use these numbers are:

Government Services (UK government)

Customer Services (BT)

Benefits of Using an 0808 Number

Usually, when calling a phone line people will want to get off the phone as quickly as possible due to the incredibly expensive costs per minute. However, with the 0808 numbers being free there is no need to do this. This means a customer/citizen/etc will spend more time on the phone line. This is why the majority of companies/organisations that use this number are charities or customer service. They want to fix your problem and their main goal is to help you out so it can be a real struggle if you can’t stay on the phone long enough. Companies who use this number are more likely to have more positive customer experiences. This could potentially give your company/organisation a better reputation overall. So, even though the company is the one paying for the calls it could work out positively as a whole.

Like I said before, people are unlikely to spend a vast amount of time on the phone if the number isn’t a freephone number. In general, most people will avoid calling the number all-together if there are charges. This means having a ‘0808’ number encourages people to call seeing as they don’t have to worry about excess charges.

The awareness of ‘0808’ numbers is on the rise – and has meant an increasing in companies buying 0808 numbers for use as their main helpline number. Usually, people will not answer phone calls from unusual numbers, with odd locations that they are unaware of. Fortunately though, with the ‘0808’ number there is no wondering and confusion. It is well know that it is the freephone number so people will answer calls without any hesitation or worry.

Downfalls and Drawbacks of 0808 Numbers

First of all is the obvious one, the price. You are required to pay for all the phone charges. There are some benefits to this, however it can still be pricey and some companies can just not afford to use this number. Before you decide you want to set up an ‘0808’ number please look into the costs and make sure you can afford it.

Next, is the biggest drawback of these numbers. In some cases they are not free for the customer. Many phone companies haven’t caught up with the implementation of this freephone number and will still charge the customer for calls and will still charge you too; taking away any benefit. A vast majority of phone companies do let you call these numbers for free but be aware that some of your customers may still be required to pay to call you. Fortunately though, this should be less of a problem in the future.